Kieran Desmond (Image: South Wales Police)
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A man who had been free for less than a month after leaving prison was back behind bars following his arrest with £2,000 worth of cannabis in Cardiff.
Kieran Desmond, 29, of Avondale Crescent, Grangetown, was sentenced to one year and four months’ imprisonment at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday. He had previously admitted possessing cannabis, being concerned in its supply, driving whilst disqualified, and having no insurance.
The pursuit
Officers attempted to stop Desmond on April 10 after spotting him in dark-coloured clothing riding an electric motorcycle along Heol Trelai in Cardiff.
Rather than pulling over, he stopped beside a van, abandoned the motorcycle, and took off on foot – hurling a rucksack into a front garden as he ran. Police quickly caught and detained him.
What officers found
Inside the discarded rucksack, officers discovered 314 grams of cannabis, with a significant portion divided into “deal-sized amounts” in clear snap bags. Cash totalling £35 and an iPhone were also recovered.
Prosecution barrister Pamela Kaiga told the court that examination of the phone revealed messages linked to cannabis sales alongside a list of addresses police presumed to be for customers.
A search of Desmond’s home turned up several “burner phones” and another tick list featuring addresses and phone numbers. When interviewed by police, he answered “no comment” to all questions.
Mitigation
Defence barrister Zoe Laugharne said that Desmond’s lifestyle was a “consequence of leaving home at the age of 16 with little support”.
She added: “He got involved with the wrong crowd. He used time he spent in custody productively working on the wing as a cleaner.
“He has previously had issues with alcohol and drug misuse but has been clean of both since he was remanded in custody.”
Sentencing
Passing sentence, Judge Christopher Felstead told Desmond: “What’s fairly staggering to me is you were only released from custody on March 16 and by April 10 you were again arrested supplying drugs.
“On April 10 you were seen by officers throwing a rucksack and within that rucksack was a considerable quantity of cannabis – about £2,000 worth.”
Desmond was jailed for one year and four months and ordered to pay a £187 victim surcharge. A forfeiture and destruction order was made for the seized drugs.
